Super-mutant ‘vaccine resistant’ Botswana Covid variant is driving South African surge and is nearing dominance just WEEKS after first being detected – sparking calls for a new travel ban on region to prevent outbreak here

A new Covid variant that has more mutations than have ever been seen before is becoming dominant in South Africa and is feared to be ultra infectious and vaccine resistant, scientists warned today.

Experts said the variant is growing ‘very quickly’ in South Africa and is driving the country’s surge in infections.

Around 100 cases of B.1.1.529, its scientific name, have been detected so far in three countries and the World Health Organization is convening an emergency meeting tomorrow to investigate the troubling strain.

South Africa’s Health Minister Joe Phaahla described the variant as ‘a major threat’, warning that it was behind an ‘exponential’ increase in cases across the country.

Experts in the UK today called for travel restrictions to be reimposed to prevent the strain being seeded here and avoid risking a repeat of this spring when the Delta variant was imported in huge numbers from India.

Zero-Covid scientist Professor Christina Pagel urged ministers to ‘get ahead of this right now’ by immediately’ reimposing the red travel list ‘ — which was only scrapped a few weeks ago.

And Chris Snowdon, an economist who is normally in favour of fewer restrictions, also called for an immediate travel ban.

The Government has left the door open to bringing back the notorious traffic light travel system with Transport Secretary Grant Shapps saying last month hundreds of hotel rooms were still on standby for quarantine.

Nationally, infections in South Africa have surged tenfold from 100 per day to 1,100, after the variant was first detected in neighbouring Botswana on November 11.

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